Dragonball: New Era
by Chris123
Summary: Our story begins with an innocent Martial Arts tournament, unknown to the participants that a sinister plot is being hatched elsewhere...The lives of a select few warriors are about to change forever!


Chapter 1:  
  
"Winner!" exclaimed the Umpire, as Jack lay flat on his back. The crowd saluted Chris' achievement. It had taken 5 long years, but finally he'd realised his boyhood dream and won the National Karate Championships. He in turn raised his hand to the crowd and smiled with a sense of confidence you only realise in triumph. The memories of those long nights of training came flooding back as he remembered all the effort he'd put in to come this far.   
  
He turned his attention to the beaten finalist. Jack hadn't moved from his beaten position, almost as if he was in shock. It was one hell of a throw that had finally finished him off, but Jack felt as if he'd lost something. There was no shame in losing. The gracious winner extended his left hand and in turn Jack grasped it, pulling himself to his feet once more.   
  
The pair of finalists applauded the crowd amiably and smiled to their respective friends and family. With one final nod the combatants retreated to the locker room, before the final trophy presentation was to be made.  
  
"Great contest, man!" smiled Chris, whilst he tore off his white kimono, throwing it on top of the lockers.   
  
"Thanks, Chris," nodded Jack, trying not to think about the final. "I guess the best man won in the end."  
  
Silence peered down upon the locker room, as Chris patted Jack on the back and proceeded to walk towards the showers with dignity and honour. Jack hung his head in despair as the familiar sound of running water began to ring in his ears. Drip after drip after drip.  
  
The water poured down Chris' naked body as his mind wandering back to the tournament. He could hardly contain his delight, but had to because he wanted to appear sportsman like. It was a great shame that his Parents weren't alive to see this day, he thought. A faint tear trembled down his right cheek as his blue eyes stirred silently. Uncle John had always told Chris about how his Father was exceptional at Martial Arts, but yet this wasn't the thing that Chris thought about when he pondered about his Dad. The fact that a black mist surrounded his Father's death had always puzzled him was what troubled him most. The fact that it wasn't unusual for him to lie in his bed at night and dream about what really happened to his Dad. Was this normal? His opinion was that you couldn't define what is normal and what isn't. There is no such thing as insanity, but merely different levels of sanity itself. Chris often ventured into deep conversations, challenging his mind to think about life and its origins.  
  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce the 23rd English National Karate Champion- Chris Kimuro!" proclaimed the announcer guy, whilst he gently applauded himself.  
  
Chris walked up the silver ramp and took his place on the pedestal type thing. He cracked a smile and nodded his head in recognition of the audience's admiration for him. His blue jacket bore his Master's emblem on it; a green Dragon with piercing red eyes. He tightened his black belt nervously and accepted the microphone from the announcer.   
  
"Umm, I'm not really very good at speeches, so I'll try and keep this as short as I can," chuckled Chris tentatively. "Basically, I just want to thank everyone who has organised this competition, the competitors but most of all my Master. Master Goku couldn't be here today, but I'm indebted to him for taking me under his wing only a few weeks prior to today. Thanks, man!"  
  
Once again clapping broke out amongst the audience as Chris bowed with courtesy as he had been instructed to do so. He lifted the enormous trophy above his head and saluted the crowd one last time. He retreated to the back hastily; he wasn't a very social kind of person.   
  
Jack watched in awe of Chris. The rivalry between them had been well documented; ever since a young age they had competed against each other, yet it always seemed that Chris maintained the upper hand for most of their journey through childhood. Jack pushed his red hair back once more as he gazed on at Chris thinking about the trophy that he grasped so firmly in his hands.   
  
"How does he do it?" shrieked Jack almost silently. A jealous tone overcame him. He wasn't normally a vindictive sort of boy, but this time it was almost too much for Jack to suppress. He'd wanted to win this Karate Championship for so long now. He remembered how he and Chris used to sit on the little embankment of grass just down the road and daydream about becoming strong warriors. This was slightly different of course, but the same undying principal of wanting to be the best still remained.   
  
"Can you feel that, Kame?" questioned Mr Popo, with a look of severity.  
  
The Namek twitched uneasily as the wind ran through his old robes. The guardian of the Earth didn't care to break his own silence, but instead continued to gaze out at the mass of clouds that had formed on the horizon.   
  
The lookout point seemed to have gained an atmosphere of tension, but why? The relationship between Mr Popo and Kame was as strong as it had always been. The Earth had been through an easy patch for the past few decades and it seemed there was not a lot wrong with the Planet at all. Yet, something hung over them all, lurking, waiting to be discovered. It still remained to found though, and the question remained; what was happening or about to happen that both occupants of the lookout point could feel?   
  
"I feel it, Mr Popo," sighed Kame. "I fear that Earth is now about to be placed in grave danger. I've known for a long time that this day would come, but alas I didn't anticipate it would be soon. We have to prepare, Mr Popo."  
  
"But for what, Kame?" cried out Mr Popo, baffled by the Namek's statement.   
  
"Invasion," proclaimed Kame.  
  
The sun glistened brightly overhead as Mr Popo tried to absorb Kame's words. He gulped slowly and thought of the consequences of Kame's terrible prediction. The Namek had never been wrong before; Mr Popo took his words as fact.   
  
Chris and Jack walked down the cold streets of Sunnyville chatting merrily to one another about the tournament. Both of them seemed to avoid the topic of the final though, for obvious reasons. Chris rolled back his thick black hair and began to observe the scenery in silence. Birds chirped overhead, children frolicked around aimlessly in the nearby parks. They had no idea of what evil was about to descend upon them from the outer reaches of the Universe.  
  
Without second thought Chris kicked an empty can of coke from off the sidewalk and into the nearby road. The container tossed, turned and eventually lay dormant in the middle of road. Suddenly, the rain belted down upon the roadside causing the two boys to run for cover. The lightning followed without warning as the duo ran hastily through the murky town to the place that they called home.   
  
Jack and Chris only lived a few doors away from each other, so they were virtually inseparable. Although they led very different lives. Chris came from a mysterious background, virtually nothing was known about his parents or any other member of his family for that matter. All he had was his Uncle John, but he watched out for Chris like any loving Father would do. On the other hand Jack had a comfortable background in comparison to his best friend. His families were always there for him whenever he needed support, but the one thing they couldn't offer him was the one thing he wanted most...to be better than Chris.   
"What exactly do you propose to do, Kame?" whimpered Mr Popo, still reeling from the shock of Kame's previous statement.  
  
"We're going to have to prepare some fighters to resist the invasion!" muttered Kame, with a tone of perseverance present in his tongue.   
  
"But who?" cried Mr Popo desperately trying to think of any fighters that the Earth possessed with any real power. "Earth's most powerful warrior's are all dead now! All we have is the revived form of Goku and he's far too old to battle now!"  
  
"I fear you are indeed correct, but there is another one with a substantial amount of power on this Planet," smiled Kame indefinitely. "I have watched this one develop for quite some time now, and although he is not ready to fight a war for this Planet yet...He will be. Goku himself knows this to be true!"  
  
"What are you talking about, Kame?" blasted Mr Popo. "Goku is an old man now; he can't help us anymore!"  
  
"Goku has an apprentice," smirked Kame, emerging with hope. "An apprentice with Saiya-jin blood..."  
  
The clouds shadowed part of the Namek's face as darkness overcame the look out point. The wind picked up as Kame pondered about the path that the Earth had to walk down. It was going to be a long trek, but Earth's guardian was optimistic; it was time for another to emerge...  



End file.
